Miss Mouse and a Little Pumpkin

Pumpkin Carving

Linnea helped carve her first pumpkin this year
it primarily involved bossing mommy around, so much that mommy forgot to take a picture of the finished product.

Peanut Butter Crackers

This cute little girl likes to eat peanut butter crackers.
This little brother gave his sister a look and received a peanut butter cracker.

He loves them

and if you put him on an exam table in the training room he will crawl to a cracker, just as long as his sister isn't around to hand the to him when he gives her a look.

Into Everything

While Joel and Laurie were visiting Benjamin actually decided to crawl across the living room rug. It was the one of the few times he actually crawled during October.

He really likes his new found discovery of kitchen cabinets!

He also found the cat's water and food, he likes the cat food and the plant sitting right next to it. He sat himself up to get to the cat, loves walking forward, likes to say mama, dada, and linya. He mastered sitting down from standing up and has figured out how to bend down and pick things up while he is standing up playing. Oh and he decided to have a nice snack of raisins and blue playdoh while his daddy was supposed to be watching him!

Busy October

October is always a busy month for us, beach trip, football, more football, family visits, birthdays, and fall festivals.

This is how Benjamin celebrated his mommy's 30th birthday. He had fun standing in the sink flirting with everyone!

Grammie with her grandbabies



These two love each other so much, it's wonderful seeing how delighted they are to see each other. When Linnea wakes up in the morning she always starts looking for her brother right away and Benjamin is never happy until his sister wakes up from her afternoon nap.

Linnea has kept us busy with her quick replies to things. When Ben asked her if she wanted to finish her supper and she replied "No I am singing to the Lord of Heaven" while banging away on her little piano. She also had fun writing on the dining room table with a Sharpie. Life's never dull with her around. She likes to boss her brother around, read him stories, and give him hugs.

Look at our chunky monkey's hand and foot, he loves to eat!

October was a blur of busyness, maybe by February or March we will slow down enough to catch our breaths!

Pretend Play

Linnea loves to play with her baby dolls. Hampshire and Amanium are the two that have names.


She's a very serious little mommy and takes very good care of them. She shushes us when we are being too noisy when they are taking naps, she comforts them with pats on the back and even knows how to properly use a nursing cover up!

Alternative Ways to Fall Asleep

Benjamin decided one night that it was just too exciting to go to bed, he wasn't grumpy, he didn't act tired, and he didn't want to go to bed. Finally at 10 we took him into our room plopped him on the bed with a toy and let him play until he fell asleep playing.

Benjamin and Uncle David

Benjamin may have found a new favorite place to be

in his uncle David's arms

walking forwards with the help of his hands

and sitting on his shoulders.

Zoo Time

We took a quick, wet trip to the zoo with all the Merritt family.

Benjamin spent a lot of time with his uncle David.

Caleb and Linnea looking at the penguins.

Benjamin liked getting to stand up and look at the penguins swimming by him.

Hanging Out With the Merritts

Joel, Laurie, and Caleb traveled from Texas the second week in October and we finally got to meet Caleb and spent two weekends with them. The first weekend they stayed at our house and then the second weekend we traveled down to Lexington to see everyone. David and Abbey came down from Virginia and grandpa and grandma Hammack drove down for the day to visit.

Linnea loved getting to spend time with her uncle Joel. She was so excited about having her Uncle Joel and Aunt Laurie visit!
Great grandparents with 3 out of 5 great grandkids.
Impossible to get everyone looking at the camera.
Benjamin discovered his grandma's kitchen cabinets and had a lot of fun!

The Kids Meet Caleb

Benjamin really does like his cousin Caleb, even if he does look like he's going in for the kill. Benjamin has had so many older babies grab his head that as soon as Caleb came round he decided to start picking on him!

Maybe he was a little tired too.

He played well with Caleb for the most part, as much as two little babies actually play with each other. Give them a year and then it will be interesting to see how they play together.

Grandma has the magic touch with her grandson.

Grandma with her three grandbabies.

Shark

On the last day we were at the beach the girls ended up dressed alike and were very excited to take a walk down the beach to see a shark that Emma's grandfather told us about.

They were very curious.

Linnea even touched the shark.

I know, tons of pictures of these two! If they weren't so cute maybe we'd have less pictures. It was also the only way we could get Linnea in a picture, she doesn't like to have her picture taken these days.